Truck crane



April 11, 1950 ALE. ORMSBY 'mucx CRANE Filed June 2, 1947 o m M w .M. W. mew W $6 4 fi Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES arcane i' A-ENT OFFICE TRUCK CRANE Application June 2, 1947, Serial No. 751,795.

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cranes and has for one of its objects the provision of a crane in which the post and jib are an integral length of an I beam and which post is provided with means for supporting the lower end from a supporting platformor bed free from stays or braces above such bad.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rotatable crane provided with improved means for locking the same in the desired position and which crane is adapted to rotate through 360 degrees.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an extremely simple strong rotatably supported crane that is adapted to be economically made;

H'eretofore, as shown in my United States Letters Patent No. 2.109.304 of February 22, 1938. it has been the practice to make the crane posts and jibs of tubular material. This is expensive and requires relatively cumbersome and costly bracing of the post. Also special bracing for the jib is usually required where the crane is for lifting any appreciable load. Inasmuch as it is customary among users of cranes to overload them far beyond their intended capacity, the tubular structure would be detrimentally strained many times, whereas with the present structure no injury results when used under the same conditions and in the same way, and furthermore the elimination of the bracing required in tubular structure enables the crane to be mounted in places where it cou'd not otherwise be used.

Other objects and. advantages will appear in the specification and in the drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a part sectional erspective view of a crane illustrating the invention.

Fi 2 is a sectional View taken alongline 2-4 ofFie. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken throu h'the lower end of the post.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary part sectional and part J elevational' view taken through the mountingfor the post and also" showing the latch mechanism and part of the post.

a vertical post 3. This bend is in the plane of the web 4 of the beam. Thus the flanges 5 along one side of the web will form one side of the post and the underside of the jib. while the other flanges 6 will form the other side of the post and the upper side of the jib.

At the outer end of the jib 2 is a clevis 1 between the sides of which is a pulley 8 for load line 9. I The latter extends over the pulley and along thev upper side of the jib to a roller ill that is carried. on the upper side of the I beam by a support ll. Line 9 extends over roller Ii) and then downwardly to a winch I 2 that is secured. to post 3 at a point below but close to the curve forming the bend between the post and the jib.

The winch I2 is at the side of the post adjacent flanges ii so as to be clear of any load that may be lifted.

The lower end portion of post 3 extends contral y through a circular relatively thick disk or cylindrical member l5, the latter being out out to pass and to substantially fit the post, and the post is welded in the open ng thus formed at a point spaced a substantial distance above the lower end of said post.

At the lower end of post 3 and spaced a substantial distance below the member 15 is a vertical block l6 having an enlarged. upper end that.

is formed with an upwardly opening cross slot I1 therein. The web 4 of the post fits in slot l7 and is welded in posit on therein. The block It has a reduced diameter downwardly extending cylin-' drical projection l9 thereon. that is coaxial with post 3.

The lower end portion of post 3, from and inc uding the member l5 and to and including the block it with the exception of the projection It,

extends into a cylinder 26. The lower end of said c linder has a rela ively thick closure plate '21 welded thereto, said closure plate having a ins/22 is flanged at itsuo-per end to form a thrust In detail. the cranecomprisesan- Ibeam gen erally designated l. which beam is" bentto' form.. r

a longitudinally extending curve at a point there" along to provide; a iaterall'ysproiecfimsWit-and The upper end of'cylinder' 20 is we ded to-a'w horizontal zfithatis adaptedto be bolted;

bearing M. for engaging'the' downwardly'facing shoulderbetwe'en block- 18 and projection l5.

Also the upper end of said 3 or otherwise secured to the bed 26 of a vehicle, such as a truck, or to any suitable anchor and which plate has a central opening through which the post extends.

Plate 25 has a row of openings 28 therearound and equally spaced from the cylinder 20. Usually four equally spaced openings are sufficient but more can be provided as may be required. Each of said openings 28 is adapted to receive therein the lower end of a vertically reciprocable rod 29 of a latch mechanism.

Rod 29 extends along post 3 below winch I 2 and along the same side of the post as said winch. Adjacent plate 25 and slightly spaced thereabove is a guide and rod retaining plate 30 that is rigidly secured to post 3. This plate 30 is formed with an opening 3| through which the lower end of rod 29 slidably extends.

The upper end of rod 29 slidably extends through the bottom 35 of an upwardly opening horizontally extending channel member 36, one end of which is welded to post 3 at a point spaced below the winch. The end portion of rod 29 above member 36 is bent at right angles to the main portion of the rod to extend between the sides of the member 36 and to project out of the open end of the latter that is opposite the end secured to the post 3. This projecting end of the rod forms a handle indicated at 31. The sides 38 of member 36 are a sufiicient distance above the lower side of handle 31 to enable the handle to rest on either one side or the other of said channel member when the rod is elevated by lifting the handle and then revolving it through a 45-90 angle in one direction or the other. The handle 31 will be held elevated with the lower end of rod 29 in opening 3| when the handle is supported on the upper edge of one of said sides 38 and a spring 49 around rod 29 below member 36 reacts between the bottom 35 of said member and a collar 4| secured on said rod (Fig. 4) for yieldably urging the rod 29 downwardly with its lower end in one of the openings 28 in plate 25 when the handle 3'! is swung into the open end of member 33. sides 38 of said channel member, the spring will hold the handle against the upper edge of such side against accidental turning, and the collar 4| will function as a stop to prevent upward pulling of the lower end of the rod out of the opening 3| in plate 39. Preferably the end edges of sides 38 at the open end of member 36 are slanted inwardly and in an upward direction toward post 3 to facilitate progressive turning of the handle during elevation thereof to the point where the handle will slide onto the upper edge of one of said sides 38.

The height of the handle 3'! is such that (in the normal truck Where the crane is near one edge) the operator on the ground can readily reach it while standing alongside the truck. There are no braces or stays to interfere with the accessibility of the handle and it is easily actuated.

In operation where a load is to be lifted oif the ground the operator swings the crane so that the jib will extend over the work and then the crane is locked in this position by swinging handle 31 off the upper edge of one of the sides 38, of the channel member 36. The hook 455 or other .suitable load engaging means is then -.engaged ,with the load and the winch I2 is actuated in the usual manner for lifting the load to the height required for clearing the 1 platform or bed 2B. Q ha elel-r 'slee ePl lees-is? Z. P- PPW9 -1 :7 -F i ieyebyr s i b m a cylinder When the handle is on one of the on the winch will hold the load line from unwinding and the rod 29 is elevated by handle 31 and the latter is swung over one of the sides 33 for holding the rod so elevated. The crane is then swung about its axis to bring the jib over the bed, and, if desired, the rod 29 may be released to engage in one of openings 28 for again looking the same against swinging although there are many instances where the .load may be released Without necessarily locking the post. The load is released when the same is over the desired area.

During transit the post is preferably locked with the jib over the bed of the truck and usually there are several positions in which it may be so locked.

In certain instances heavy duty cranes are made with reinforcing plates within the channels at opposite sides of the Web extending from a point between the upper bearing l5 and the lower end of the post to about the bend, thus reinforcing the post against bending due to lateral strains. This reinforcing being between and to the flanges that extend from opposite sides of the web receives the support of the flanges as well as reinforcing them and no braces project from the post as is usually the case. The plates 59 are preferably welded along their longitudinally extending edges to the flanges. v

It is to be understood that the detailed description and drawings are not to be considered restrictive of the invention but are merely illustrative of a preferred form thereof.

Attention is also called to the fact that a member 69 is secured to the projection 19 and is bolted to the. latter below closure plate 2| by bolt GI and projects radially of said bolt over the plate 2| for removably securing the post in the cylindrical member 29.

I claim:

1. A truck loader crane comprising a post and a jib integral therewith formed from an I beam bent at the juncture between said post and, said jib in the plane of the web of said beam, a cylin- ,der coaxial with said post into which the lower end of the latter projects, a cylindrical block rigid with said post within the upper end of said cylinder, a closure plate rigid with said cylinder at its lower end having a central cylindrical opening therein, a cylindrical member coaxial with said post rigidly secured to the lower end of the latter and rotatably extending through said opening, and means for removably holding said cylindrical member within said opening.

2. A truck loader crane comprising a post and a jib integral therewith formed from an I beam bent at the juncture between said post and said jib in the plane of the web of said beam, a cylinder coaxial with said post into which the lower end of the latter projects, bearing blocks rigid with said post rotatably supporting the lower end of said post in said cylinder, interemaging latch means carried by said post at the side of said post opposite said jib for securing said post rigid relative to said cylinder at spaced points in the revolution of said post, said latch means including a manually actuatable lever spaced a substantial distance above said cylinder and a floor plate rigidly secured to the upper end of.

said cylinder for securing the latter to the bed of a vehiclein a position extending through said bed. 3,. Atruck loader crane comprising a post and a. jib integral therewith formed irom an I beam bentatthe juncture between said jib and post in axial with said post into which the lower end of the latter projects, said cylinder being provided with a floor plate for securing on the bed of a vehicle having a central opening therein, bearing means on said plate and cylinder rotatably supporting the lower end of said post in a position extending through said opening, said late being formed with a row of openings around said central opening equally spaced therefrom, a vertically reciprocable rod reciprocably mounted on said post for extending at its lower end into any one of the openings of said row, means so mounting said rod.

4. A truck loader crane comprising a post and a jib integral therewith formed from an I beam bent at the juncture between said jib and post in the plane of the web of said beam, a cylinder coaxial with said post into which the lower end of the latter projects, said cylinder being provided with a floor plate for securing on the bed of a vehicle having a central opening therein, bearing means on said plate and cylinder rotatably supporting the lower end of said post in a position extending through said opening, said plate being formed with a row of openings around said central opening equally spaced therefrom, a vertically reciprocable rod reciprocably mounted on said post for extending at its lower end into any one of the openings of said row, means so mounting said rod on the side of said post opposite the side from which the jib extends, a winch on said post above said rod, a pulley on the end of said jib and a roller on the upper side of said jib between said winch and said pulley, a load cable extending over said pulley and roller and to said winch whereby the lateral side of said post opposite said winch and the underside of said jib are free from obstruction by said load line and the winch and said rod are adapted to be actuated by an operator at the same side of said post as said bar and winch.

.ARWIN E. ORMSBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 599,360 Sauer Feb. 22, 1898 865,655 Patten Sept. 10, 1907 1,099,645 Graham June 9, 1914 1,247,706 Moran Nov. 27, 1917 2,109,304 Ormsby Feb. 22, 1938 2,449,501 Oertle Sept. 14, 1948 

